My Hero Academia Season 2 Episode 24 Recap – Katsuki Bakugo: Origin

Brash Maneuver

Before the battle starts, Bakugo gives Midoriya a heated look. He plans to display his superiority despite them being teammates. The arena for their match is a sprawling urban landscape.

Midoriya wants to plan with Bakugo since their enemy, All Might. Fighting him head-on would prove foolish, but Bakugo wouldn’t hear it. He wants to stall All Might instead and beat him up in the end.

Midoriya pleads to him that this isn’t a wise choice, but Bakugo slaps him away instead. Teamwork seems to be off the table. Everyone watching doubts if that would be wise against All Might.

The two end up yelling at each other, and All Might stop them by shooting an air blast. All Might reminds them that he’s the villain in this scenario, so they must get through him with all they’ve. Midoriya and Bakugo suddenly get an overpowering feeling from him, something they’ve never felt before.

Midoriya moves away, But Bakugo attacks with a flashbang followed by a barrage of explosions. All Might slams Bakugo down before moving to Midoriya. As a result of their conflicting plans to attack end evade, the two bump against each other and stumble to the ground.

Bakugo then moves toward All Might. Midoriya tries to reach out, remembering their youth. Bakugo was also a big fan of All Might, and he wanted to follow in his footsteps.

Teamwork

Suddenly All Might finds a steel grate and traps Midoriya in it before punching Bakugo. Midoriya then remembers his childhood friend’s determination to win, the thing he admired from years ago. So he tries to wiggle himself out of his binds.

All Might consoles Bakugo’s frustration, saying that his friend’s improvement would differ from his due to their skill levels. Bakugo yells that he’d rather lose than join forces with Midoriya, but Midoriya punches him for even thinking of losing and drags him away from the fight.

The two argue again as Bakugo tries to free himself from his teammate’s grasp. Midoriya admits he can’t find a plan against All Might but begs him not to think about giving up. That’s not the Bakugo he knows.

They ambush All Might together, stunning him with Midoriya borrowing Bakugo’s grenade blaster. After which, they go for a quick escape. Impressed that they managed to team up, All Might follows in pursuit.

All Might catches up and smashes Bakugo’s grenade blasters before the two can reach the gates. A clash ensues between them, with All Might gaining the upper hand. Bakugo remembers his idol’s overwhelming power and strength; that’s why he’s the greatest hero.

Final Stand

Bakugo blasts All Might to the sky with an explosion as a final gambit before throwing Midoriya to the exit. But before he could get through, All Might intercepted his trajectory. Bakugo then follows up with a maximum blast that breaks the limits of his arms. He yells for Midoriya to run, but his teammate’s back is broken from the previous attack.

Bakugo does his best to thwart All Might with a barrage of explosions while Midoriya staggers to the exit, but it doesn’t work, and the former gets subdued to the ground. Bakugo gives it all he’s got and even bites All Might’s hand.

Seeing his friend’s desperation, Midoriya decides to attack All Might with his best Smash before dragging Bakugo away. He manages to push through with his unconscious friend in tow. The two pass their practical exam.

Later, Midoriya and Bakugo end up with Recovery girl again. All Might gets a lecture from her as he ponders how far their students have grown.

Meanwhile, the League of Villains finds a couple of recruits.

Our Thoughts

Bakugo was always a character that grinds my gears, but this whole sequence fleshes out the source of his anger and determination. 4/5.